Philip Kennedy Johnson, a fan-favorite writer who has done beloved work on the Superman and Batman franchises at DC, has signed a multi-year deal with Marvel starting in January 2026. He will join fellow former Superman screenwriter Brian Michael Bendis, who recently announced he would be returning to Marvel with Avengers #800.
The announcement comes ahead of the latest issue of Johnson’s Infernal Hulk hitting stores this Wednesday. In a press release, Johnson revealed that DC’s current projects, including The Adventures of Superman and Batman & Robin, will be allowed to complete their originally planned stories.
“My friends at Marvel have been ideal collaborators, and I’m extremely honored and excited that they have asked me to play such a large role in their company,” Johnson said. “Now that our Incredible Hulk series begins its second act with Infernal Hulk #1, and there are other amazing projects we’re putting together for 2026 and 2027, it felt like it was time to put Marvel in my comics for a while.”
Johnson entered the industry in 2015 and is best known for his acclaimed work on Superman and Action Comics, but that’s not all he’s accomplished over the past decade. He has also had success with Marvel’s Alien, Green Lantern: War Journal, and Hellhunters, and recently started work on the Hulk and Batman titles. Johnson is also the writer and co-creator of DC Black Label’s The Fellsspire Chronicles, BOOM! He is a member of the studios Crocodile Black, Last Sons of America, and Warlords of Appalachia, and teaches creative writing at the Joe Kubert School.
“I remain as close as ever to all of the great people at DC, and my ongoing work on Batman & Robin and The Adventures of Superman: The Book of El will continue until its scheduled conclusion next year,” Johnson said. “Comics are about making cool things with friends, and I want DC fans to check out what we’re building at Marvel. I’m still getting better at this job, and I can’t wait to show you what we’re building at Marvel right now.”
Infernal Hulk, by Johnson and artist Nick Klein, arrives in October’s Incredible Hulk #30, following the Hulk’s epic rematch with the Elder, the powerful firstborn of the Mother of Horrors. The Eldest’s long-held plan comes true as he harnesses the power of the most powerful beings to usher in a new age of monsters, unleashing a dark fate across the Marvel Universe and declaring war on its very soul.
“The Hulk story we’re building is the most ambitious I’ve ever written, and the titles we have planned for 2026 and 2027 are legitimate dream projects for me,” Johnson explained. “My son generously blessed me with doing so because he learned his love of reading from the same old, torn Marvel, DC, and Gold Key comics that I read. That was all the advice I needed. To my son, to all of my other readers, and to my fellow comic fans, I promise you, I won’t let you down.”
Born in Iowa and raised in Kentucky, Johnson studied music at Eastern Kentucky University and the University of North Texas. He is a practicing musician in the Washington, DC/Baltimore area, and served as trumpet player with the U.S. Army Field Band in Washington, DC from 2005 to 2025, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, the Moscow Ballet, the Dallas Opera, and the Washington Symphonic Brass. He also recently retired from the United States Army after over 20 years of service.
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